Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

5. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht why she is proposing to de-designate 46 Natural Heritage Areas, which were designated as Natural Heritage Areas, in order to satisfy the ruling of the European Court of Justice against Ireland in Case C-392/96; and the alternative steps she will take to protect these valuable conservation areas from destruction by drainage and peat extraction. [20156/16]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This question relates to the Minister's announcement last week that the drafting of legislation has been approved as a matter of priority for the de-designation of 46 raised bogs. I am appalled that this Minister of all Ministers as the one who is supposed to have a special responsibility to protect and promote our heritage would under her watch allow, permit, and actively facilitate the destruction of an irreplaceable part of our heritage, allegedly as a matter of governmental priority when the patent truth for all to see is that this decision which was set in stone in the recent programme for Government, on page 51 to be exact, would appear to be singularly motivated by a lust for power at any price even if that means sacrificing or destroying part of our country's heritage.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network was published in January 2014. It sets out a series of measures to ensure that Ireland meets its obligations under the EU Habitats Directive to maintain or restore raised bog habitat to favourable conservation status, as well as its obligations under the EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive relating to the regulation of turf cutting on natural heritage areas, whilst at the same time avoiding unnecessary impacts on the traditional rights of landowners and users and minimising the cost to the State of compensation payments. The review concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. This will entail the phasing out by 1 January 2017 of turf cutting on 36 existing natural heritage areas, which will remain designated - this includes seven sites to be divided, with part to be conserved and part de-designated; the complete de-designation of 46 natural heritage areas, including the relevant areas of the seven sites to be divided, where it has been judged that their contribution to the attainment of the national conservation objective for raised bog is expected to be marginal and-or restoration would be prohibitively expensive for the conservation benefits achieved. Domestic turf cutting may continue on these sites, while larger scale or commercial turf cutting will continue to be regulated through other consent systems; and, the designation as natural heritage areas of 25 currently undesignated raised bogs, which are in public ownership or where there is reduced turf cutting pressure, so as to compensate for the loss of habitat within the sites where it is proposed that turf cutting can be allowed to continue.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In 2005 the then Government committed to designating these raised bogs as NHAs as part of the compliance with an ECJ judgment. An inevitable part of that designation was ending turf cutting on them. This Government is rowing back on that commitment and claiming that the fact that it is going to do less than it said it would is some sort of success story.

Our raised bogs are among the best examples of raised bog habitats left in Europe. In addition to their obvious biodiversity value, peatlands are very important carbon sinks. They also act like large sponges helping to protect us from flooding. After the many recent catastrophic floods does this Government not get how crucial it is to take preventative action and not the exact opposite? Worse still, when drained and harvested these bogs will go from being carbon sinks to very large carbon sources. The Minister can dress this up whatever way she wishes today but to the Green Party and to many others it is nothing more than a shameful destruction of our heritage all for the sake of a promise to support and keep this Government in power. Most unfortunate of all, there was an alternative solution for all which would have protected our heritage. Raised bogs can be traced back to the Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago and 10,000 years of heritage is now being bartered and traded for votes to keep the Minister and this Government in power. The way it is going this Government might not even see a few hundred days.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To reassure the Deputy, this process started in 2004. I am very conscious that I have to respect the environment and the European directives. This is a win for the people it impacts and it is a better outcome for the environment. We brought in consultants to examine 79 bogs. It was all done scientifically and the worth in heritage and environmental terms of the designated bogs was considered. It is considered that there is a much lower impact in terms of cutters than the newly identified bogs. Designating the newly identified bogs has a bigger impact on the environment.

Currently the area of active raised bog on the existing NHA network is 284 ha and when the new designations are brought in we will have 290 ha of active raised bog.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Are there management plans in place for those NHAs where turf cutting is due to end from 1 January 2017? If not, why is the Minister pressing ahead with de-designating 39 and partially de-designating seven in advance of arrangements being made to ensure that conservation objectives will be met on the reconfigured network of raised bog habitat recommended in the Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network in 2014? Our raised bogs and other parts of our environment are in jeopardy because successive Governments have tried to be all things to all men and made concessions they should never have made. These bogs are over 10,000 years old and are our heritage. They should never have been used as bargaining chips in Government negotiations. In simple terms, with this decision the Minister is setting fire to our past, our present and our future.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not agree with the Deputy on that point. I am certainly not trying to be all things to all people. I am trying to find a balance which ensures there is an appropriate network of NHAs which would better contribute to the protection of raised bog habitats and related habitats and species as required under the EU nature directives and wildlife Acts. Drafting of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is ongoing. The general scheme of the Bill has been submitted to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht and the legislation is an important step forward in terms of securing a long-term resolution for turf cutters. It will implement the recommendations of the Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network which was approved by Government in 2014. The review concluded that Ireland could more effectively conserve threatened raised bog habitats through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. There will be better outcomes for the environment here in changing these designations.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The next question is the name of Deputy Martin Heydon but I understand that Deputy Neville will speak on it.